I am 50 and had my Aortic heart valve replaced -cow valve-

Good to hear that you made it through just the surgery itself and dodged a bullet with the stroke clot. Honestly I don't think I could stand to listen to click clack either. Knowing you amazingly survived a crapped out valve this long is a miracle in itself. They say the pig vale only lasts for so long you could get double miles on it considering the condition that your valve was in and you feel like a million bucks. That valve has been holding you back a long time. Like walking around with a pallet of cinder blocks on your chest just trying to walk around without getting winded. Good luck!

a reply to: sean

Thank you so much. I felt like death for many years and never knew it till I noticed how amazing I feel now! My cow valve is called Inspiris Resilia made by Exwards. I hope it lasts over 20 years!

wow. besides the cost. what an achievement for you and medicine. im glad you are around but something insides say you will likely outlive me no matter what. great story bud. thank you

a reply to: AnrkE

I hope that you live a long long time! Are you ok?

a reply to: JJproductions

Holy living God in the clouds! I know all about the procedure...and the breaking it up in itself is amazing...a-mazing. Did you know you had 3 of you goin?

One of you was life-supported- as the breaking up and removal of the old, that one without life support-was dead...yes....You werent there....and the new you rose form the ashes like a Phoenix.

Unrelated...theres an internet photo of a man undergoing open heart surgery. Awake and talking eyes open during. A lifelong practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, he was one of the 1st.

My friend? Congrats. Im 70 myself and Im still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! It never ends....not really.

Peace

***Heard the one about the cow that needed a heart valve? They said they'd get it from a human. The cow said "Naw. I dont want that thing! I know for a FACT...they break all the time!!"

Keep smilin...God bless

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Haha I love the cow joke. Wow I did not know about the three!!! Thank you, kindly. I will reply longer later I walked 6 miles for exercise and I am burnt!

a reply to: JJproductions

6 miles? Impressive! You go guy! Never stop moving...God bless...let us know how you're doin'! And watch out for any indication that you wanna get down and eat yer grass lawn!!!

Best✌️😎

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Thank you so very much. You have so much medical background and have helped. I really hope that if anyone reads this and has shortness of breath, swollen legs or chest pain they go get 2d echo. I lived many years struggling when I could have been fine. Besides the sternum pain daily which will go away I can walk and walk. I feel great!

a reply to: JJproductions

My City Emergency Mgr/ Co-Ordinator, Captain....saved my life, sent 3 rigs for me cause I was in AFIB denial. So even us in our fields...sometimes get blindsided by symptoms, indicators, signs..it's every call, every day.

The sayings true: Always listen to your body...

a reply to: JJproductions

First and foremost, Im glad to hear you are doing well.
Just looking at the pics hurts, I wont even let them do lasik on me...

Such a scary story and I'm honestly surprised to hear that you waited so long given the details but I know I wouldn't have done it. I would have told them all to F off BEFORE the surgery.

I hope you don't get offended but I have to know, even though it wasn't a whole organ and such i hear stories about people getting weird cravings or having unfamiliar dream after getting an transplant, has anything like this happened to you?

a reply to: datguy

Thank you for reading, I think you should get your lasik!!! The funny part is when I woke up with a tube in my throat I told everyone off! They removed the breathing tube quickly! I was in denial for many many years and refused surgery.

I now feel amazing, I have to walk 3 miles per day for cardio but I can do six miles, it is amazing.

You ask about cravings lol. I want to eat mint all the time. I won’t eat cow ever again. I kind of wonder if my valve was from a milk cow a bull or a meat cow lol…

a reply to: JJproductions

To me, that is truly crazy awesome, thank you for sharing.

At least mint is healthy!

Hi I am in the same situation as you I also am 15 I was diagnosed three or four months ago with aortic stenosis I've had a trill fibrillation irregular heartbeat all my life caused by a premature ventricular valve aortic valve.

I have smoked most of my life but when found out this news I quit instantly was the easiest thing I'd ever done was not hard at all I've changed my lifestyle and I'm still working on it as far as diet goes and food intake and the poisons that are in the food and what kind of foods etc etc It is very difficult to do I'm still learning

I am not overweight in fact I'm probably 10 lb underway I am active I've been in good shape I would say I've lived a semi-rift life but nothing major I am active healthy mind

I've had minimal interactions with my cardiologist and doctors which is odd they say that my stenosis is caused from calcium buildup in my aortic valve from its defective function so the first step they are doing which I am scheduled for in 20 days is going to be the ablation which is when they are going to shock my heart and try and kick the rhythm back into a normal tempo and then after that I am not quite sure but I think I will be having to do the operation to get a new valve I'm concerned because I don't want to have to take blood dinners and yet at the same time I don't want something that's going to fall apart or not work in 15 20 years and then what

My medical is Medicare medical it seems to be good so far I don't have a calcium number count I just don't have a whole lot of information about my situation which is odd I am going to be going into the cardiologist and requesting another appointment before my operation in a few weeks fun funquote]originally posted by: JJproductions


Feb 14, 2023


My whole life doctors thought I had mitral valve prolapse. It is a type of heart valve disease that affects the valve between the left heart chambers. The doctors told me one day I will need to have open heart surgery. Years and years went by. I avoided doctors because I was scared, scared I would have to be opened up.

In 2014 I finally went to a doctor for a 2d echo or a two-dimensional echocardiogram is capable of displaying a cross-sectional “slice” of the beating heart, including the chambers and valves.

My doctor read the results and she told me that I do not have a mitral valve problem at all. I had the worst aortic valve stenosis she has ever seen. She told me my valve is so narrow I could die at anytime. I blew her off because I did not want surgery.

August 22, 2022. I suffered a stroke in my right eye. I was very lucky the stroke did not reach my brain. I was in a stroke unit for 10 days being watched. After many tests they found that a small small section of my aortic valve broke off and somehow went into my eye. A small dot.

Many more tests reveled that my aortic valve was so calcified that no blood was flowing through my aortic valve. The aortic valve is between the lower left heart chamber and the body's main artery. My only symptom was my breathing was heavy while I worked out. No chest pain or swelling of the legs.

At this point the doctors told me that I need open heart surgery ASAP or I will be dead in a year. I did many hours of research and wanted TAVR. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement. TAVR is where they run a new heart valve up into your growing into your heart and push aside the old valve.

My heart surgeon told me he would fight me if I think TAVR is a good choice for a 50 year old. It’s a good choice if you are 80 and you do not have many years to live.

I picked a date Feb 14, 2023 the greatest heart day of the year for my surgery. I had a choice. A manmade valve or a cow valve. I talked to many people who had a man made valve. They all told me the same thing. It freakin clicks like a clock 24/7 and you need blood thinner for the rest of your life.

Right away after hearing tick tock about the manmade valve I told the surgeon I wanted his best cow valve. The new cow valves can last over 20 years. Pig valves last between 7 and 15 years.

I went in at 5 am Feb 14, 2023. They prepped my body for surgery and knocked me out. The first thing they did was use a medical saw and cut through my sternum. Of course they cut my skin first. I got very lucky and had a J surgery. They only opened me up 4 inches and put a few holes in me too. They used a rib spreader to make room to get to my heart and replace the valve. Sure a few ribs were broken. Ouch.

Two hours later they finally got to my aortic valve. It was so bad and hard as a rock the surgeon used a medical hammer to break it apart before he could cut it out and replace it with my new cow valve.

Meanwhile I was on a heart lung machine that kept me alive while they stoped my heart for 3 hours.

I woke up 9 hours later and told everyone to F off. I had no clue where I was. I spent 10 days in the ICU. They worst pain EVER was where they cut my sternum and wired it back together.

It’s now been almost 4 months and I feel great! My ribs still hurt and sternum but it will fully be healed in six months. I walk at a very fast pace 4 days a week at cardio rehab. I feel amazing. My surgeon was so happy that I avoided the Covid shot.
If you have any question let me know. If you need this done do it!!!
Cost. Over $400,000 to fix something the size of a quarter. Here is a part of the cost.

Detailed Account Information
Anesthesia
$5,404.00
Show charges
Cardiology
$2,993.00
Show charges
Coronary Care Unit
$61,749.00
Show charges
Ekg/Ecg
$186.00
Show charges
Laboratory
$8,940.00
Show charges
Laboratory Pathological
$456.00
Show charges
Medical/Surgical Supplies and Devices
$45,230.57
Show charges
Occupational Therapy
$2,687.00
Show charges
Operating Room Services
$66,220.00
Show charges
Other Diagnostic Services
$2,070.00
Show charges
Pharmacy
$5,675.08
Show charges
Physical Therapy
$3,020.00
Show charges
Radiology - Diagnostic
$1,240.00
Show charges
Respiratory Services
$3,495.00
Show charges
Payments and Adjustments
This goes on and on I could not copy it all!

-$350,188.00

Glad you are doing well

How many year does the new cow valve last? my bud had a pig valve, they said 15 yrs, he's pretty close to the 15 yr mark, still doing well, tough as nails.

a reply to: Rubbleditch

Hi I read your story. I researched and talked to many people with cow valves, pig valves, a person with a horse built valve and 10 people with manmade valves.

I am not on any blood thinners because I chose a Inspiris Resilia cow valve. With the manmade valve you have to take blood thinners the rest of your life and love with a clock sound in you 24/7.

I could never live with a tick tick tick sound in my body. My valve is quiet. I do feel it due to my old valve not working for many years.

Before surgery I tried everything possible that would fix my valve natural. Nothing worked. I was lied to and spent so much money for no results.

I opted for the non narcotic pain management way after surgery. The last thing I needed was an addiction to pain pills! Lol. Before surgery the put in a release pain pump into my upper back. They stuck a pond needle into me. It was a trial. I agreed to and they billed my insurance $7000.00. It helped sooooo much with the pain. Non narcotic medicine that self pumped every 45 min.

You will feel amazing a few months after surgery!!! I started working against doctors orders after 3 weeks. Everyone has a different outcome after open heart surgery. I posted my outcome. I wish you the best of luck and I know you will be fine!

a reply to: vonclod

I have the new Inspiris Resilia valve made from a cow heart. It wears out after 18 years! If I need another valve they can do TAVR. It is running a new valve through an artery. No open heart surgery needed. I am happy your friends pig valve is doing great!

originally posted by: JJproductions
a reply to: vonclod

I have the new Inspiris Resilia valve made from a cow heart. It wears out after 18 years! If I need another valve they can do TAVR. It is running a new valve through an artery. No open heart surgery needed. I am happy your friends pig valve is doing great!

That's awesome, sounds like an easy replacement

Thanks for the response, take care!

well not really. born to alcoholic's. they create alcoholics. I wish i didnt start the love affair with booze and paced myself better. cirrhosis. my fault.a reply to: JJproductions

a reply to: AnrkE

I used to love drinking too. I value my life more so I tossed out the drinking, it’s been three years. You can do it too! Our minds get so clear with no drinks! If you ever need to chat PM me! Be safe!